The Shadows in our Souls
by Merytato
Summary: After certain events point to another impending apocalypse, Ichigo and Rukia embark on a journey to a distant world called Elemoria, a land where magic reigns supreme and swords are carried only by those of higher ranks or who have earned them. Another organization is waiting in the shadows however, and it's up to Ichigo and company to stop them.
1. Chapter 1

The Shadows in our Souls

A/N: Yo people! It is I, Merytato. Now then, a word about this story before I begin. I have posted this story previously, however I took it down due to personal reasons at the time. I am now feeling ready to start once again. As a warning, this is going to be a crazy ride. More on that in the ending author's note. For now, kick back, relax, and enjoy!

The Shadows in our Souls Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

"OOOOWWWWWWWWW!" Could be heard across the landscape as an orange-haired teen fell onto the ground, hard, from mid air.

Groaning in pain, Ichigo opened his eyes to see a bright blue sky dotted with fluffy, white clouds. Feeling around with his hands, he noted that he seemed to be lying down on soft, springy grass.

The orange haired teen sat up, holding his head. He looked around to see a seemingly endless expanse of bright green grass, broken here and there with tall oak trees.

"How the hell did I end up here," Ichigo wondered. Deciding that sitting around wasn't going to accomplish anything, Ichigo stood up, dusted himself off, and started walking in a random direction.

He had been walking across the mostly flat landscape for what he thought was about an hour when he noticed something silhouetted on the horizon. Squinting, Ichigo could make out a human-shaped figure. The silhouette was short. Abnormally short, in fact. Its figure seemed to be feminine. Now that he thought about it, the hairstyle seemed very familiar...

"No," Ichigo whispered. "It can't be..." Slowly, as if they were moving of their own accord, his legs started carrying him towards the figure, who was standing still in the same spot.

As he could see the figure in more and more detail, his pace picked up as well, until he was full out sprinting towards the silhouette. Eventually, he reached the figure, and his suspicions were confirmed.

"Rukia..." Ichigo said softly. Even though she was right in front of him, he couldn't completely believe it.

Rukia smiled at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly her expression turned to one of shock. Ichigo's eyes widened as a gray blade appeared through Rukia's chest. He reached out for her, but a large amount of blood gurgled from her mouth and she slid off of the sword, dead.

Ichigo had trouble keeping his lunch in after that, but forced himself to look up to see Rukia's killer. As he did, the sky was quickly covered with dark gray storm clouds, while thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. A steady downpour began as he looked at the murderer, dumbstruck, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.

A shadowy figure was standing right behind where Rukia was just standing, holding a sword. It looked like a shinigami, but instead of white trimmed black robes, this one had gray robes. It had bony white hands and feet, but that wasn't the worst part...

It had no face or hair. Instead, its entire head was a pure white oval. It looked like something out of a horror movie.

As he looked at the killer, he felt a terrible, enormous, bubbling rage fill him up. He wanted nothing more than to tear this monstrosity to shreds. With a yell, Ichigo charged at it, but tripped over something. He looked at what he had tripped over, and his eyes widened in shock. He was staring at the mangled body of Orihime Inoue.

"No... " Ichigo whispered. He looked back at the shadowy figure, only to see that it had disappeared. In its place were the bodies of everyone he knew. Chad, Uryuu, Tatsuki, Keigo, Renji, the Captains. All of them were dead, with their bodies mangled and disfigured in one way or another.

Ichigo slumped to his knees in total defeat. As he did, a deep rumble sounded out. He looked up to see a face take shape in the dark clouds.

"This is what will happen if you defy me." The face said in a deep, rumbling voice, "I do not condone those who interrupt my plans."

Suddenly, the mouth opened, and a black ball of energy gathered inside of it. The energy shot out of the mouth in the form of a beam, and headed straight for Ichigo...

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo jerked up in his bed, breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat.

"D-Damn." Ichigo gasped, trying to slow down his breathing, "That was one hell of a nightmare."

Calming down, he looked at his alarm clock. It read 5:38.

Groaning at the loss of another hour and change of sleep, Ichigo got out of bed and started doing his morning exercises, which consisted of a large number of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and other various exercises.

As he let his slightly aching body rest, Ichigo looked at his clock. It now read 6:04.

Sighing, Ichigo took out his headphones and plugged it into his TV. He turned it on and started up his new Xbox. It had been a gift from his friends and family to help him get over what had happened with the Arrancar War and the subsequent loss of his powers. While it didn't really help in the way they had intended, it did give him something to do when he was bored and had nothing better to do.

He played his games until his alarm went off at 7:00, at which time he powered down his system and TV, and put his headphones in his school bag. He took his school uniform out from his bedroom closet and started to get dressed. As he did, he could hear the sounds of his sister Yuzu making breakfast for everyone. He also heard the sound of feet shuffling and tripping down the stairs, which was most likely his sister Karin.

Flipping his collar back, Ichigo grabbed his bag, opened the door to his room, and walked into the hallway, shutting the door as he walked out. He half-dragged his feet across the upstairs hallway and down the stairs into the entrance to his home.

He walked into the kitchen, where a Yuzu with an apron was fixing pancakes and eggs at the stove, and Karin was sitting at the table, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Morning Yuzu, Karin." Ichigo said, nodding to them.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Yuzu said, smiling brightly, while Karin waved a hand in response.

Hearing heavy footsteps running down the stairs, Ichigo sighed and prepared for what he knew was coming.

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGOOOOO," His father, Ishin, yelled from behind him. Ichigo bent over just in time for his shirtless father to go sailing over his head and out the window. The sound of a cat screeching could be heard, followed by the cries of a grown man in pain.

Ichigo sat down at the table across from Karin, who, like her sister, ignored their father's cries of pain. It was an almost every day occurrence after all.

"You'd think he would've learned by now." Karin said, pointing back at the window with her thumb, through which the sounds of Ishin in pain could still be heard, along with a cat's hiss.

"He's Dad." Ichigo deadpanned, "I'm pretty sure the only thing he's ever learned without violence is his ABC's, and I'm starting to doubt that too."

"You know, he is our father." Yuzu chimed in, "You guys should show him some respect."

Ichigo and Karin looked at each other, and promptly burst out laughing. Yuzu sighed and turned back to her cooking. Being the acting mother figure was hard when you're technically the youngest of your siblings.

After a few more minutes, Yuzu served their food. She made a plate for herself and picked at it as she got started on their lunches.

"Thanks, Yuzu." Ichigo said, before taking a bite, "'S pretty good too."

"Make sure to leave some more for me." Karin took a bite of her eggs.

Soon enough, Ichigo had finished his breakfast and left his plate on the counter for Yuzu to wash.

Yuzu gave him his lunchbox. "Here you go, Ichigo," she said cheerfully. Ichigo gave his thanks and started walking out the door. "Have a nice day at school, and don't forget about Karin's soccer game later!"

Ichigo raised a hand in acknowledgement as he slung his bag over his shoulder. He walked down his driveway and past his father, who was lying in the lawn, covered in cat scratches and twitching every few seconds. Sighing at his father in disgust, Ichigo continued his trek to school.

Perhaps it was his nightmare that caused it, but as he walked, his thoughts started drifting back to his days as a Soul Reaper. It had been two months since he had used the Final Getsuga to defeat the traitor Aizen, and in the process lost his powers and everything he had worked up to until then.

Two months. It certainly didn't feel like it had been that long to the strawberry. After he had lost his powers and said goodbye to everyone he had known in the Soul Society, he had thrown himself into his school work. It had been constant day in, day out, everyday life.

Of course, seeing as it was a spiritual center, Karakura Town still needed protection. Chad, Orihime, Uryuu, and Isshin had taken it upon themselves to defend the town against the Hollows that sometimes popped up, as well as any other problems that needed their attention. Even though they didn't mean it in the way he took it, the thought of his friends defending his hometown from Hollows while he sat in his room playing Xbox made him feel weak and useless.

Perhaps that was why he had started his training regime. In addition to his morning exercises, which he did every day, Ichigo did a number of other exercises, which included running five miles or so every few days, scaling a tall rock wall he had found three times every couple of days, and many other exercises. He probably didn't have to push himself so hard, but it made him feel slightly better about his current condition. Even so, it didn't change the fact that he couldn't help his friends and family hunt Hollows and protect the very people he had lost his powers to protect in the first place.

Ichigo was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he walked straight into something, or rather, someone.

Ichigo felt himself walk into something very hard, almost like rock. He looked up to see none other than his friend Sado Yusatora, whom he called Chad.

"Yo, Ichigo." Chad greeted, looking amused, "What's up?"

Ichigo looked up at the friendly giant with surprise. "Chad?" Ichigo said, puzzled, "What are you doing all the way over here? I thought you lived over on the other side of town?"

Chad pointed behind him. "I helped an old lady find her cat," he said. Ichigo looked behind the dark skinned boy, and lo and behold there was a happy old woman hugging a not so happy cat. It was strangely similar to the one that had been mauling his father earlier.

Ichigo sweat dropped and looked at his friend. "You're too nice for your own good, you know that, Chad?"

The giant chuckled. "Maybe." The two started walking in the direction of their high school.

"So what's been going on with you lately?" Ichigo asked, "It's been awhile since the last time we've been able to talk like this."

Chad shrugged his massive shoulders. "Nothing much." He replied, "I joined the boxing team, but other than that, not much."

Ichigo looked at his friend in surprise. "You joined the boxing team," he asked. Chad nodded in confirmation. "That's great! What made you want to join anyway? I thought you didn't like stuff like that?"

"Well, I want to go to college." Chad explained, "And I've been applying to numerous colleges, but they keep turning me down. They say that while my grades are good, they need people who can contribute something to their facility other than brains. So I decided to join boxing because my build is suited for it."

They walked into their school courtyard just as the bell rang. "I bet you'll become the national champion in your first year, Chad," Ichigo said.

"Thanks, Ichigo," the dark skinned giant smiled. The two entered the building and bumped fists before going to their separate classes.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo yawned yet again as he listened to his teacher drone on and on about parabolas and a bunch of other math-related stuff that he didn't understand at all. Even though he was applying himself more in school, math always somehow managed to bore him to sleep.

Propping his head on his arm, Ichigo looked out the window. It was bright and sunny, and he was suddenly reminded of his dream. He shook his head vigorously to clear the gruesome images from his mind. When he stopped, he found himself looking at the empty chair where Rukia used to sit. He quickly looked away, but the quick glimpse was enough to make him feel like crap.

He always tried to prevent himself from looking at anything related to Rukia or anyone else from the Soul Society, because it was inevitable that the memories would come back to him.

This time was no different. Even though he tried to fight it, the memory of his final moments with his friends from the Soul Society came floating back to him...

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Orihime, Uryuu, Chad, the Vizards, and the Captains of the Gotei 13 were standing in front of a Senkaimon on the west side of Karakura Town. The atmosphere surrounding the group was heavy, not with tension, but with sadness.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," the Captain Commander Yamamoto said, breaking the silence, "You have done all of Soul Society a great favor, one which we of the Gotei 13 shall never forget. You have defeated the traitor Sosoke Aizen, who was a threat not only to the Soul Society, but to the world of the living and Hueco Mundo as well. I speak for all of us when I say that we are eternally grateful for all you have done."

"However," Yamamoto continued, "The sad fact remains that in order to defeat Aizen, you used a technique that, while powerful, robbed you of your Shinigami powers. As it is beyond even my power to restore them, it is with a heavy heart that I relinquish you of your duties as a Substitute Shinigami. I shall allow you to keep your badge, however, as a reminder of what you have done."

The ancient warrior paused, looking at the boy who had saved them all from destruction. The expression on the teen's face could only be described as lost. Clearing his throat, Yamamoto, along with the other Captains, bowed deeply.

"We cannot thank you enough for all you have done for us." The Captain Commander said, still bowing, "It is with great sadness that I bid you farewell. Thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki, Hero of the Three Worlds." With that, Yamamoto and the other Captains straightened, and one by one walked through the Senkaimon. Some paused to shake Ichigo's hand or to say their own goodbyes. The Vizards walked away, heading back to their hideout.

Renji walked over to Ichigo and clapped his hand on Ichigo's shoulder, shaking the orange-haired teen out of his stupor. "You did good, Ichigo." He said solemnly, "It was an honor fighting beside you. Try not to be eaten by a Hollow before I can get another chance at kicking your ass, got it?"

Ichigo managed to crack a small smile. "Same goes for you, Pineapple."

Renji took his hand off of Ichigo's shoulder. He turned around and walked through the Senkaimon, raising a hand in farewell as he passed through.

Chad, Uryuu, and Orihime looked at each other. A silent agreement passed between them, and they each turned and walked towards their respective homes, leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone.

Rukia was the first to speak up. "So I guess this is goodbye, eh, strawberry," she asked, making an attempt at a smile.

"Yeah, I guess it is, for now at least." Ichigo replied, his expression softening, "I don't know how I'll be able to find you in the Soul Society when I finally kick the bucket, midget. You're so short it's almost impossible to see you near normal sized peop-OOF! Rukia, what the hell?" Rukia had suddenly ran up to Ichigo and tackled him in a bear hug.

"Thank you, Ichigo. For everything," Rukia muttered into his rapidly soaking chest. Before Ichigo could question exactly what the hell was going on, the raven-haired shinigami had bolted through the Senkaimon, which closed almost immediately afterwards.

Ichigo just stared at the spot where the Senkaimon had been moments before. He stood there for a good amount of time past sunset, gripping his Substitute Shinigami badge in his pocket tightly. Finally, hours after the Senkaimon had closed, Ichigo turned around and went home. If one looked closely at the ground where the teen had been standing, one might be able to make out a single small wet spot on the pavement.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo sighed deeply. Even now, two months later, the memories still pained him.

Ichigo was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear his name being called by his teacher. Narrowing her eyes, the math instructor walked over to the teen and slammed the ruler she was holding on his desk, jolting Ichigo out of his stupor and causing the rest of the class to burst into laughter.

"So glad you could join us." The teacher said amidst the class's laughter, "Now, if you're done daydreaming, please solve the problem on the board." She pointed to a mildly difficult algebraic equation written in chalk on the blackboard.

Mentally groaning, Ichigo stood up and dragged himself over to the blackboard, where he attempted to solve the math problem.

Oh, he could tell that this was going to be a fun day.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo sighed in relief as the bell for the lunch break rang. As he had predicted, his morning had gone badly. He had been scolded by his teachers for daydreaming in every class. His English instructor had even gone so far as to compare him to Orihime, who, while very bright, was renowned for her constant daydreaming.

Ichigo stood up and stretched, grabbing his school bag as he did so. Slinging it over his shoulder, he walked out of the door of his classroom and down the hall towards his locker, where he exchanged his school bag for his bento. Holding the bento box to his side, he put his other hand in his pocket and walked among the other students who were heading towards the courtyard to eat.

As Ichigo walked into the courtyard in front of the school, he breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of the cherry blossoms and flowering plants that were interspersed around the area, and smiled slightly. He really needed some fresh air. With painful memories resurfacing, as well as his teachers' constant pestering, he really needed some time to get away and talk with friends.

Speaking of his friends, they were proving to be difficult to find as he looked around the somewhat packed yard. The courtyard was usually pretty full during lunch because most of the students preferred the open space and fresh air of the outdoors to the stuffy air and enclosure of the cafeteria. A good number of the students were eating lunch in a group, munching on onigiri or whatever else their families had made for them and chatting amiably. Some were eating their meal in solitude, content with their own company. A couple students were even sleeping in trees, most likely exhausted after a difficult exam, or possibly gym.

Ichigo just hoped they weren't caught by the vice principal. That man had issues, and if he caught someone sleeping in the trees that he had personally ordered to be planted, Ichigo was pretty sure the man would have an apoplectic fit.

Finally spying his friends eating in the shade of the outer wall that surrounded the school property, Ichigo walked over to them, slowly raising his left arm in what seemed to be a greeting as he went.

Once Ichigo got within ten feet of his friends, he closed his eyes and started counting down.

'3, 2, 1...'

"ICHIGOOOO!" He heard the expected loud and overly-excited voice yell from behind him right on cue. Ichigo swung his left fist backwards just in time for it to meet Keigo's face. His perverted friend froze for half a second, before crumpling onto the ground. He laid there, twitching every few seconds, while Ichigo sat down between Uryuu and Chad, one of his eyebrows twitching in annoyance.

"Hey, guys," Ichigo said, sitting with his legs crossed.

"Hello, Ichigo." Uryuu said, shifting his glasses up his nose, "Good to see you. We were just discussing our plans for life after high school. I was just saying that I myself have applied to several colleges, but so far I haven't received a reply."

"I've already told everyone that I joined the boxing team." Chad informed Ichigo, "They didn't seem too surprised. But when I said I was planning to play college level, someone," he glanced meaningfully at Tatsuki, "voiced their doubts."

"You know I'm sitting within striking distance of you, right," Tatsuki growled.

"Speaking of boxing," Uryuu said hastily, "I heard that you were on the boxing team yourself, Tatsuki."

Everyone turned to the black haired girl, who was now blushing slightly.

"I didn't know that girls were allowed to join the team," Chad stated curiously.

"Yeah, isn't there some kind of rule against that?" Ichigo questioned, "Something about too many guys taking advantage of the close combat?"

Tatsuki rubbed the back of her head, grinning. "Yeah, that's normally the case." She agreed, "But a couple days ago, a couple of thugs tried to have their way with me, if you know what I mean. I took the liberty of beating them senseless. As it turned out, those two idiots were a couple of the best boxers on the team. Once the coach heard about that, he kicked those two out and approached me. I thought I was a goner, so you can probably imagine how surprised I was when he offered me their place on the team."

She turned to Chad, her grin turning into a smirk. "But I'm in the lightweight league, so you don't need to worry about losing your reputation as the strongest person here just yet, big guy," she said. The giant slumped his shoulders in resignation.

"I'm impressed." Uryuu said, "You managed to defeat two skilled boxers on your own, without any serious injuries. I think you'll do well on the team. But how will this affect your martial arts training?"

"I've already worked it out with my sensei and the coach." Tatsuki explained, "Their practices are normally on different days, but since I already know more about boxing than most of the people on the team do, the coach said I could afford to skip a practice here and there as long as I don't miss a match."

"But anyway, enough about me." The martial artist turned to Orihime, who had been strangely quiet throughout the entire conversation, with a grin on her face, "Miss Top Female Student here has some big news. Right, Orihime?" The black-haired girl elbowed her friend in the ribs, making Orihime jump.

"R-Right," the busty teen exclaimed nervously, her eyes lighting up. She took a deep breath and smiled. "I got accepted into a major university!"

Everyone was stunned. Getting accepted into a major university was a big deal, especially for someone like Orihime, who had no family. She really needed, and deserved, something like this to happen so she could make something out of her life.

Ichigo was the first to recover. "That's great, Orihime!" He grinned. "You deserve to go to a good college." Ichigo felt genuinely happy for the first time in weeks. He knew Orihime was smart, and was glad that someone had recognized her for it.

Everyone offered their congratulations to the orange-haired girl, whose face could only be described as glowing.

"Thank you so much everyone!" The healer wiped her eyes, "I'm going to miss you guys when I leave."

Tatsuki lightly punched her friend on the shoulder. "Hey, don't be getting all sappy on us now." She said, "We still have a couple of years until college, and even then we'll still be able to visit each other, plus we have the Internet, so it won't really be goodbye."

Orihime smiled at Tatsuki. "You're right, I'm being silly. Thank you, Tatsuki."

"Don't mention it," Tatsuki replied.

"I'm curious," Uryuu questioned, "What is the name of this university?"

Orihime put a finger up to her chin, a thoughtful expression worming it's way onto her face. "Hmm," She hummed, before smiling sheepishly, "Eh heh… I kinda forgot… Sorry." She laughed nervously.

Everyone sweatdropped. "You're saying that you got accepted into a major university, then forgot which university it was," Ichigo deadpanned. At Orihime's vigorous nod, he face palmed. "Seriously, you amaze me sometimes, Orihime."

Orihime opened her mouth, most likely to thank Ichigo, but Uryuu hastily spoke up. "So moving on," the Quincy said, "What are you planning on doing, Keigo?"

There was no answer. Everyone turned to where Ichigo had punched Keigo to see the brown haired boy still lying on the ground, passed out.

"Well, he's no longer with us." Tatsuki deadpanned, "Thanks, Ichigo. You saved all of us a headache today."

"Speaking of people who aren't here," Ichigo looked around, "Where's Mizuiro?"

"I think he said that he's going on a date today," Chad stated, picking at his food.

"For the whole day," Uryuu inquired, a confused expression on his face.

Suddenly it dawned on all of them. Their faces promptly turned bright red and they shook their heads vigorously to clear the horrible images from their minds.

"So, Ichigo," Orihime said quickly, "What are you planning on doing after high school?"

Ichigo opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. He realized that he had no real plan for his life after high school.

"I'm… still thinking about it." The ex-Substitute Shinigami's scowl deepened slightly.

Everyone glanced at each other quickly before changing the subject. Ichigo caught this and mentally sighed. They were still pitying him.

Maybe, though, maybe it was time for him to move on and get on with his life. He could start applying to colleges, or maybe do a sport or join a club. He could ask his dad about maybe taking over the family clinic. Once he had a respectable job, he would get married, have two kids, and live a happy, normal life.

Ichigo sighed, out loud this time. No matter how much he tried, the thought of living a normal life just didn't appeal to him.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo nearly jumped for joy when the final bell rang. The second half of the school day had gone just as badly as the first for the orange-haired teen, and he was ready to finally go home.

Ichigo stood up, yawning. He grabbed his school bag and slung it over his shoulder, before joining the steady stream of students heading out of their classrooms, moving towards the front doors of the building.

Normally, the ex-Substitute Shinigami would meet up with his friends after school and they would hang out for a few hours, but today all of them were busy. Chad had to go to boxing practice, Tatsuki had a martial arts meet, Uryuu had some family business to attend to, Orihime was going home to do some research on the university, and strangely enough even Keigo had said that he was busy.

As Ichigo walked out of the front doors, he suddenly got a peculiar feeling of being watched. Looking around at his fellow students, he searched for any sign of maliciousness in their faces. Not seeing any, Ichigo shook his head vigorously.

'The stress must be getting to me more than I thought.' He thought to himself. He shrugged it off and continued towards his home.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the majority of his walk home. However, once he was about three quarters of the way there, that changed.

Ichigo was making his way down a sidewalk lining a somewhat busy intersection when the sensation of being watched returned. Looking around suspiciously, the orange haired teen spotted a flash of gray disappear down a nearby alley. Curious, Ichigo decided to do some recon.

The former Substitute Shinigami turned down the alley only to see that it was a four-way intersection. Seeing the flash of gray disappear down the right hand alley, Ichigo, as silently as possible, jogged after it.

Ichigo followed the flashes of gray through the maze of alleyways. He realized that he was getting pretty far away from his home, and decided to give it one more turn before heading back.

Ichigo turned into another alley only to see that it was a dead end. Sighing, he turned around to go back only to see a gray barrier blocking his path.

"What the hell," Ichigo shouted. He tried to shatter the gray wall of energy with his fist, only to quickly pull his now smoking hand away with a shout of pain.

"Okay, so punching a strange barrier made of energy that was clearly intended to keep me in here wasn't one of my smartest moves," Ichigo growled, rubbing his burnt hand while inspecting the barrier. It was made up of dark gray energy that was swirling in bizarre patterns, and didn't seem to have any real point of origin that he could see. He had never seen a barrier like it before.

Deciding that he wouldn't be getting out through the exit, Ichigo turned and inspected the dirt-covered alley. It was somewhat narrow, maybe six or seven feet across, and as he had noticed earlier it was a dead end, with the end of the alley being about twenty feet away. However, the walls seemed to be really old, and had numerous chips and cracks that he could use as hand and footholds.

"Looks like I'll be climbing," Ichigo decided, walking over to the wall.

As he started looking for a good starting place, however, his senses, honed through numerous battles, suddenly screamed for him to move. The strawberry quickly complied, diving to the side just in time for a blade to pass over the back of his head. Ichigo hit his head on the landing, causing him to see stars and feel a small warm trickle go down the side of his head, but a flash of gray appeared in his peripheral vision and he quickly rolled out of the way just in time for a gray blade to pierce the ground where his head had been less than a second before. He turned his roll into a crouch and jumped a fair distance away, and got his first good look at his attacker.

"N-No way..." Ichigo breathed, completely stunned. He was expecting some sort of Hollow, or possibly even a rogue Shinigami, but what he was seeing was beyond anything he had imagined.

Standing in front of him was the same creature from his nightmare. The one that had killed Rukia.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

 **A/N: Aaaaaaand that's a wrap! So as I said, I actually wrote most of this a while ago. However, I took a very long break from writing. Without getting too personal, I did not feel up to writing for that time. I now feel up to it much more so than before. While this is the same chapter, I did edit the living crap out of it with the help of my wonderful beta** _who also edits your author's notes and doesn't get paid enough for this_ , **so it's hopefully much better than before.**

 **Onto the next point. This story is going to be different from the canon after this point. By a lot. I don't really know how that's going to be taken, so I hope you guys like what I have in mind. I can't really promise regular updates. I can try for once a week on Fridays, but no promises there. I am a poor, busy college student. Please take mercy on my soul.** _If you want, I can totally bug his butt about this… every day… every single waking minute._

 _So! Hihi! Empress of Ice here! I'm the lovely and adorable beta he speaks of! While his notes will be in bold, mine will be in italics! This was a pain to edit. I had to yell at him and explain basic rules of grammar. It was like teaching a poor student. Much like the actual author, I hope you enjoy reading this story! I, personally, am quite excited to see where this ends up!_

 **Attacks on my life aside, that's about all I have for now. Until next time, tati bye bye for now!**


	2. Chapter 2

The Shadows in our Souls

A/N: Yo people! It is I, Merytato, with the second chapter of this story! I'll save the rest of my comments for the end, so kick back, relax, and enjoy! Here's the chapter!

The Shadows in our Souls Chapter 2: Awakening

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

"N-No way..." Ichigo breathed, completely stunned. He was expecting some sort of Hollow, or possibly even a rogue Shinigami, but what he was seeing was beyond anything he had imagined.

Standing in front of him was the same creature from his nightmare. The one that had killed Rukia.

'That's impossible!' Ichigo thought frantically, 'This guy's the same one that I saw in my dream! How the hell is he here in the physical world?'

Ichigo was quickly jolted out of his stupor by the creature charging at him with an overhead swing. He felt a slight tingling throughout his body, as if his very being was excited to do battle once again. Ichigo sidestepped, the shock beginning to leave his system, and decided that if this thing was going to attack him, he would make sure that he put up a damn good fight.

Ichigo quickly dropped to the ground and swung his leg out in a wide sweep kick. The creature was too slow at dodging and it fell. However, it caught itself with its free hand and pivoted, turning its fall into a roundhouse kick that sent Ichigo flying backwards into the back wall.

Coughing, Ichigo stood up. He instantly winced at a sharp pain in his back. He probably cracked something on that impact. The creature gave him no time to rest though, and quickly dashed towards him with its sword held out to the side. Ichigo forced himself to wait, then dove underneath the creature's outstretched arm. It quickly reversed its sword, causing it to slash into Ichigo's back, leaving a rather deep cut in his middle back.

"Damn it," Ichigo growled. He tucked and rolled, dodging another swing. Suddenly, Ichigo quickly stood up while pivoting on his left heel and smashed his foot into the creature's face, causing it to stagger backwards, clutching its head.

Seeing his chance to escape, Ichigo ran at the wall. Before he could begin climbing, the hairs on the back of his neck started prickling. He chanced a quick look backwards only to see the creature charging at him at high speeds, sword held out in front of it. Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw that there was no way he could dodge this one. He watched the sword come closer at an alarming speed...

Suddenly, a familiar blue beam of light slammed into the creature, sending it flying into the back wall. Ichigo looked up at the rooftops to see Uryuu standing on the top, his bow held in his hands.

"Get out of here, Ichigo." The Quincy said with an edge to his voice, drawing his bowstring back as the creature began to get up, "We'll handle this."

"Like hell you will," Ichigo yelled back.

Ichigo was pissed. He had finally gotten some action, finally was able to do something useful, and his friends had chosen now to show up. In his anger, Ichigo had forgotten that moments prior, he was staring death in the face.

Suddenly, another figure dropped down from the rooftops and slammed his armored fist into the creature, sending it back into the wall with enough force to crater the stone.

"I know you want to help, Ichigo." Chad said, his back to Ichigo, "But there's nothing you can do against this guy. You're already hurt, and you don't have the durability of a Shinigami anymore."

Ichigo ground his teeth. He knew that his friends were probably right, but out of pure stubbornness he was holding on to his anger and determination to fight.

"Please, Ichigo. You're hurt, and if you fight this thing, you're only going to get hurt worse,"A female voice sounded from behind him.

Ichigo turned around to see Orihime standing where the barrier had once been. He saw the genuine worry in her eyes, and felt his anger ebb away. He realized that his friends were merely worried for his safety, and now that he was calming down, he felt like a bratty child that was throwing a temper tantrum. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Fine." Ichigo jogged towards Orihime while ignoring the pain in his back and head.

Once he reached the exit of the alleyway, Orihime tried to help support him but he shrugged her off.

"I'm fine." The strawberry said, "I don't need any help walking."

"If you're sure that you don't need any help walking, then I won't help." Orihime hesitated uncertainly, glancing at Ichigo's wounds, "But you are hurt. We'll go to my house and I'll heal you, okay?"

Ichigo reluctantly nodded. As they ran out of the alley, he glanced back and glimpsed the battle, and was filled with a sense of longing.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Despite Ichigo's protests that he wasn't hurt too badly, Orihime insisted on doing a thorough check on him just to make sure. So the ex-Substitute Shinigami followed the orange haired girl back to her house, where, after seating him on the couch in her living room, she took off his shirt and began to work on his wounds.

"Ichigo," Orihime began hesitantly, "Why were you fighting that thing?"

"I saw something suspicious and followed it." He grunted, "It turns out that it was a trap, and it attacked me. I probably should've seen it coming, but I wanted to gather information."

There was a slight pause. "Is that the only reason you decided to fight?" Orihime asked, her voice quiet.

Ichigo became annoyed at that. "That's none of your business," he snapped.

He felt the hands healing him tremble slightly, and immediately felt guilty. "Look, I'm sorry about that, Orihime." Ichigo paused slightly, " If you really want to know, the truth is, lately I've been feeling pretty useless. I mean, you guys go out there, kick ass, and protect the town from Hollows. You guys are putting yourselves in danger every day, while I'm just sitting in my room watching TV or playing games. You know me well enough to know that I want to be able to protect people like you and Chad and my family and even Uryuu, but now I'm too freaking weak to protect anyone! I've become completely usel-"

"Don't finish that sentence." Orihime interrupted forcefully. Surprised at this rare show of anger from the normally overly cheerful girl, Ichigo obeyed. "None of us think you're weak or useless. You may not be a Shinigami any more, but that doesn't mean that you're useless, and you're definitely not weak. You're one of the strongest people I know, so if I ever hear you say something so...so...stupid again, I'll get really, really mad!"

Ichigo was surprised at this statement. He knew he should probably feel guilty for angering Orihime, yet for the first time in months he felt lighter.

"Thanks, Orihime," he said, "That's exactly what I needed to hear."

Orihime felt his tense muscles relax ever so slightly under her palms. She smiled softly to herself. "It's no problem, Ichigo. It's what friends are for, right?"

Ichigo closed his eyes and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is."

The mood had suddenly gotten a bit too heavy for her liking. "W-Well, that's your wounds done," she stuttered in a high-pitched voice, "Now then, do you want to stay for a snack? I'm making chocolate-covered carrot sticks with salted caramel dipping sauce!"

Ichigo quickly stood up. He swore he felt his stomach turn just from the thought of that atrocity. As sweet as Orihime was, her cooking was something he wouldn't wish upon his worst enemy.

"As tempting as that is, I'm going to have to decline," he put his shirt on. "Karin has a soccer game in an hour, and I'm pretty sure my dad would make another attempt on my life if I missed it."

"Aww," Orihime pouted, then perked up. "Well, there's always next time! I'll make sure to cook something extra special to make up for it then, alright?"

Ichigo sweatdropped. "...Yeah. I'll, um, make sure to bring some ingredients of mine to help out." He made his way towards the door, stopping at the entrance. "And thanks, Orihime. For everything."

As he stepped out of her house, the orange haired girl smiled slightly.

"The old Ichigo is finally coming back." She whispered softly.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Uryuu sighed in relief as the strange creature finally stayed down after a punch from Chad. The thing was much more resilient than he had anticipated, as his arrows seemed to have little effect on it, and Chad's armor fared only slightly better. Although they had somehow managed to come out unwounded, as much as he knew the ex-Substitute Shinigami wouldn't like it, they both knew that if Ichigo had continued to go up against this thing, the orange haired teen would have been killed without a doubt. It was a wonder he hadn't been killed already.

As the Quincy allowed his bow to dissipate, he jumped down to where Chad was standing over the body of the strange creature.

As he neared them, the giant spoke up. "Hey, check this out," he said. Uryuu stood next to Chad and examined the body. It was then that he realized that something was wrong.

"There's no body," Uryuu stated, a puzzled expression finding its way onto his face.

"Yeah." Chad leaned down to examine the robes. He reached inside of them and felt something hard.

"Hey, I found something," the giant announced, pulling it out.

The two looked at the small object resting in Chad's armored palm. It was a medallion, made of gray stone with a silver chain. There was a strange symbol, made of what seemed like a rock similar to obsidian, carved into the stone, looking like two S's crossed diagonally, with a sword going through the middle.

"Have you ever seen a symbol like this before?" Chad held the medallion up to the light, checking for anything else.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Uryuu replied. He dropped down to examine the robes again when he noticed something else.

"That's strange," Uryuu said. At Chad's questioning look, he held up the rather plain sheathe that the creature had been wearing. "Look at this. What's missing?"

Chad inspected it for a second. "There's no sword." He said, "What do you think this means?"

Uryuu stood up and began walking towards the exit to the alleyway, Chad following. "I'm not completely sure," he began, "But I do know who might be able to shed some light on this little mystery."

Chad nodded, already knowing exactly who the Quincy was talking about.

"However, I'm pretty sure about two things." Uryuu continued as they passed through the alleyways, "One, we have a new enemy. And two," Uryuu paused, not liking the words he was about to say, "I believe that their target is Ichigo."

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo was walking down the street towards his home, thinking about what Orihime had said. Maybe he was being too hard on himself. After all, it had been him who had defeated Byakuya, and assured Rukia's rescue, right? And it had been him that had defeated Aizen, saving the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and his own world in one fell swoop.

'You know what, Orihime's right.' Ichigo thought to himself, 'I'm still strong. I've done a hell of a lot more than any other person my age ever could have without losing my mind.' He felt the guilt from earlier returning tenfold. He had been acting like a child, and a spoiled one at that. Granted, he wasn't stupid, and knew that the loss of something like his powers and some friends were enough to warrant some grieving, but two months of sulking and depression was pushing it.

Now that he could think more clearly, Ichigo wondered about the creature that had attacked him earlier. It was strange, but after replaying the events in his mind, Ichigo was completely sure that it was a well-constructed plan rather than mere coincidence. Whoever was in charge of that thing was definitely trying to get him. He was sure that the creature was a spiritual being of some sort, because nobody else on that intersection seemed to be able to see the gray cloth.

They knew that he would be the only one passing by at that time who would be able to see the cloth, and they also knew that he wouldn't pass up the chance to finally do something after months of feeling useless. They were targeting him from the beginning.

'Let them come after me.' Ichigo thought determinedly, 'Next time, I'll make sure to get some backup before it gets to that point again.'

Feeling substantially better, Ichigo allowed a small smile to appear on his face. Hearing a noise up ahead, he saw two children kicking a soccer ball down the street. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

"Oh shit..." Ichigo muttered, feeling annoyed with himself. He had been lost in his thoughts, and now realized he was behind schedule. He wondered how pissed his father was going to be now that he forgot about Karin's soccer game.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

"HOW COULD YOU FORGET ABOUT YOUR OWN SISTER'S SOCCER GAME YOU SHAMELESS DELINQUENT?!" Isshin Kurosaki was raging at his son, who was standing in front of his father on the driveway with a resigned look on his face, "THANKS TO YOU, YOUR SISTER'S TEAM COULD BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE LOCAL CHAMPIONSHIP!"

Before he could continue his rant, Karin stuck her head out of the passenger seat window. "Dad, you can yell at Ichigo later." She interrupted impatiently, "If you keep this up, you're going to be the reason we're late."

Angrily muttering what was most likely insults towards Ichigo under his breath, Isshin grabbed his son and practically threw him in the back seat next to Yuzu, who was blissfully ignorant of the situation due to the earbuds in her ears, which were blasting that happy crap that Ichigo couldn't stand but the young girl loved.

As Isshin pulled out of the driveway, the hairs on the back of Ichigo's neck stood up again. Looking out the window, Ichigo thought he saw a quick flash of gray disappear in the distance. A knot of anxiety began to form in the teen's stomach as he began to think that this soccer game might have more to it than just the local championship.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

A bell tinkled at the front of the shop, causing the shopkeeper inside to put down the magazine he was reading and look up at his new patrons with a smile and a wave of his fan.

"Welcome to the Urahara Shop, where our motto is to serve our customers to the best of our abilities at the lowest possible cost," Kisuke Urahara drawled in his usual manner. It was then that he noticed who his "customers" were and his posture diminished slightly.

"If you're telling your customers that you should be arrested for false advertising." Uryuu smiled slightly, "Or have you actually changed from your money grabbing ways during your renewed career as a Captain?"

Urahara put on an indignant expression. "How could you possibly say something like that?" The newly reinstated Captain of Squad 12 and Head of Research and Development shook his head in mock hurt. "How could you accuse me of not wanting the very best for my valued customers?"

"I never said that you didn't want the best for your customers," Uryuu responded, shifting his glasses up his nose, "I was merely implying that you give them the best for an absurd price."

The former shopkeeper shrugged in defeat. "Guilty as charged, although we're a little shorthanded at the moment, what with Tessai, Ururu, and Jinta back in the Soul Society, so I won't be selling anything for a while." He looked at them from over his fan. "Now, what can I do for you guys today? I take it you aren't interested in my merchandise."

"We're here for information." Chad spoke for the first time since they'd entered the shop.

Urahara's eyes narrowed. "Well, I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that. What kind of information are we talking about here?" Although his words were still casual, both of the teens picked up on the sudden heaviness in his voice.

Chad held out the medallion that they had found, which Urahara took and began examining it. "We found this with the remains of some...creature that attacked Ichigo earlier."

"A creature, you say?" Urahara eyed the symbol on the medallion, "You'd better take it from the top. I'll be able to give you more info after you're done."

Uryuu and Chad explained to the genius what had transpired earlier that day. After a couple of minutes, Urahara put down the medallion and listened with a focused expression on his face. The whole explanation took about five minutes, after which the three sat in silence while Urahara digested the story.

"Alright," Urahara said after a long pause, "I'll tell you what I know. It's not much mind you, but I think I can shed some light on this mystery attacker of yours."

"Any information would be helpful in figuring this out," Uryuu stated. Chad nodded in agreement.

Urahara sighed and held out the medallion. "See this symbol? The one in black?" The teens nodded. "That is the old symbol of the Gotei 13, before there were the modern 13 squads. Back then, there were only three squads. I can't remember the whole thing, but the three squads each represented one of the three alignments that a soul's heart could take. They were Yang, which represented light, Yin, which represented darkness, and Line, which represented shadow, neither light or darkness."

He adjusted the medallion so it moved into the light. "Judging from the gray stone, I would guess that this is a symbol from the Line Division. They were all either killed off or banished a long time ago, so that's strange that one of them could even be around."

"Why were they killed off," Uryuu asked.

"Now that I can't remember," Urahara said, regret finding its way onto his face, "Truth is, this was taught in the history of the Soul Society that all Shinigami of 10th seat or higher have to take, but that stuff bored the crap out of me, so I didn't pay much attention. I knew it would come back to haunt me someday..." Shaking his head, the Captain of Squad 12 stood up. "Well, that's about all I know. Sorry about the small amount of info, but I should be able to tell you more later once I find the book that the legend's in."

Uryuu and Chad stood up as well. "It's fine." The Quincy assured, "At least we know somewhat of what we're dealing with here. I appreciate you taking the time to do this for us."

Urahara waved his fan in their direction repeatedly. "Oh, it's not a problem." He smiled, "It is for my old pal Ichigo after all."

They said their goodbyes, and the two teens left, each wondering why they had more questions than they had before.

Urahara sighed and put down his fan before turning around and heading towards the back of his shop.

"Well, this isn't how I planned to spend my vacation," the shopkeeper mused to himself.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Ichigo and his family arrived at the soccer field just in time. Karin ran towards her anxious looking team as Isshin and Yuzu went to look for seats. After the look his father gave him, Ichigo decided that it would be much less of a hassle if he just found his own seat, preferably a few seats away from his family.

'Damn dad and his freaking temper.' Ichigo mentally grumbled as he sat down on the bleachers, his head resting on his hand and his elbow resting on his thigh, 'Would it kill him to act his age once in awhile?'

The orange-haired teen looked around for his family. Spotting them sitting a few rows down and to his right, Ichigo mentally marked the location. It could be paranoia, but the ex-Substitute Shinigami had a feeling that this soccer game wasn't going to end well. He felt anxious, and the hairs on the back of his neck were tingling. There was also the flash of gray he had seen on the way here…

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the thirteenth annual Karakura Junior Soccer League Finals!" The announcer yelled, jolting Ichigo out of his stupor, "Let's introduce our teams! From right here in Karakura Town, representing Karakura Junior High, I bring you the Karakura Wasps!"

Ichigo watched as a stream of junior high students dressed in black athletic shorts and yellow and black striped t-shirts came out from the benches and waved to the applauding crowd. Spotting Karin among the team, Ichigo gave a small smile and started clapping with the rest of the crowd. If there is one thing that Karin excelled in, it was soccer. So long as nothing went wrong, Karin's team had this game in the bag.

"And from Fujisaki Junior high," the announcer continued, "I give you the Fujisaki Bulls!"

A somewhat weaker applause broke out as a team of preteens, dressed similar to Karin's team except with brown stripes instead of yellow, ran out to the field.

"Looks like Karin's team is the favorite for this game," Ichigo muttered to himself.

"But of course," agreed a familiar voice from behind Ichigo,"This is a home game after all."

Ichigo spun around so fast he felt his rear get friction burn. "Mr. Hat-and-Clogs?" Ichigo half-shouted, "What the hell are you doing here?"

The shopkeeper merely put on a mask of mock hurt. "We haven't seen each other for almost two months, and that's how you greet me?" Urahara pouted, his shoulders drooping, "I'm hurt, Ichigo."

"Yeah, nice to see you." Ichigo growled, "Now mind explaining exactly what you're doing at my little sister's soccer game?"

"Is it so wrong for a simple shopkeeper such as myself to enjoy the simple things in life from time to time," Urahara asked, his fan in front of his face.

"First of all, we both know that's a load of crap." Ichigo countered, beginning to get annoyed, "And second, you only show up when something big is about to happen. You better tell me what's going on right now, or else-"

"Or else what?" The shopkeeper said with a raised eyebrow, instantly quieting the teen, "In case you've forgotten, your powers are currently nonexistent. You couldn't do any harm to me the way you are now, no matter how hard you try."

By now, Ichigo was beginning to lose his temper. "Did you just come here to insult me, or do you actually have a reason for being here?"

Urahara quietly looked past Ichigo at the soccer field for a minute. "Don't worry about it." He finally replied, "Rest assured, I have my reasons for doing what I do. I would recommend sitting back and watching the game. You've actually been missing quite a bit. Your sister just scored a goal."

Ichigo reluctantly turned around towards the game. Looking at the scoreboard, the strawberry was surprised to see that Karin's team was up by three points.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

As soon as Ichigo looked back at the field, a blinding flash appeared, quickly followed by a large cloud of smoke.

Trying to blink the dark spots out of his vision while ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach, Ichigo turned around to ask Urahara "politely" as to exactly what in the actual hell was going on. However, the genius Captain was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a message, burned into the metal seat of the bleachers: "Family First."

"Damn that guy," Ichigo growled, turning to face the smoke, "Damn that guy straight to hell." However, despite his anger, the ex-Substitute Shinigami knew that the shopkeeper was right.

Amongst the screams of panic and the numerous fleeing families, Ichigo began searching for his family, as well as what he knew would be present.

By now a large part of the people who had attended the soccer game had evacuated the premises, and the smoke was beginning to clear. Ichigo's eyes widened as the smoke cleared to reveal at least fifty of the creatures from before spread around the soccer field. His expression went back to normal as he saw them doing battle with a single familiar man wearing a boater hat.

Knowing that area would be fine, Ichigo continued looking for his family and spotted Yuzu standing a fair bit away behind Isshin, who was battling a large group of the creatures. Ichigo let out a sigh of relief as he knew that his father, as immature as he could be sometimes, would fight to his dying breath, and probably beyond that, to protect one of his children.

However, his relief quickly disappeared as he realized his other sister was nowhere to be seen.

"KARIN!" Ichigo yelled, not caring if the creatures came after him or not, "KARIN!"

"ICHIGO, HELP," came a scream from his right. Ichigo spun towards the noise to see Karin being dragged towards the forest to the far right side of the field.

"Like hell you will," Ichigo shouted, jumping down the bleachers and sprinting towards his sister.

The creature seemed to see Ichigo coming, as it knocked Karin out with a swift chop to the back of the head before slinging the girl over its back and speeding off towards the forest.

The daily training exercises paid off for Ichigo as he increased his pace, bolting after the creature as he steadily gained on it. The faceless entity entered the forest, with Ichigo following mere seconds behind.

Upon entering the foliage, the orange-haired teen skidded to a stop. "Where the hell did he go," he muttered, puzzled as he looked around. Indeed, the creature was nowhere to be seen.

He heard a soft impact behind him, and realized too late that he had walked straight into a trap. He turned around, eyes wide, just in time to see a gray blade pierce his abdomen.

Time seemed to stop for an instant as Ichigo stared at the emotionless, featureless "face" in front of him. The creature, still holding Karin in its other hand, slid the blade out of Ichigo and flicked the blood from the blade onto the ground. Ichigo collapsed onto the forest floor, still staring at the gray spirit, which picked up the still unconscious Karin by the neck and began to thrust its gray blade towards the girl's heart.

'No...' Ichigo mentally ground out, trying to get up, his vision fading in and out from the blood loss, 'I... I can't...let her die...I need...to protect her...'

Time seemed to slow as he watched the blade come closer and closer to his sister's heart. Slower, and slower…

With a start, Ichigo realized that the creature was no longer moving. There was no wind, no rustling of the leaves, and even his wounds seemed to stop bleeding.

A familiar shadow began to take shape beside the creature. Ichigo opened his mouth in surprise as he viewed the person in front of him.

"Long time no see, Ichigo," Zangetsu smiled slightly.

"Same to you, Old Man Zangetsu." Ichigo gathered his wits, "This might sound rude, but how the hell are you still here? I thought you died when I used the Final Getsuga Tenshou?"

Zangetsu chuckled. "Died? No, Ichigo, I did not die. I can only truly die, Ichigo, if your soul is annihilated in its entirety. I was merely put into a deep, deep slumber, one that even I did not expect to awaken from."

"So how are you here then," Ichigo asked, his brow furrowed.

"There are two reasons." The Zanpakuto Spirit began to walk towards Ichigo, "The first is that right now, you were put in immense physical danger, and almost killed. This allowed me to regain consciousness as a sort of safety measure. However, it is the second reason that allowed me to appear before you." He came to a stop in front of Ichigo, "The second reason is that you were so strongly reminded of your reason to fight. Do you remember what that reason is, Ichigo?"

"I want to protect my sister," He snarled.

"I cannot hear you," Zangetsu said, kneeling in front of Ichigo, "Has your resolve truly sunk so low that this is all your will can muster?"

"I want to protect as many people as I can," Ichigo ground out, shakily beginning to get to his feet.

"I still cannot hear you!" Zangetsu yelled, grabbing Ichigo's arm as he rose, "What is your reason to fight?"

Ichigo jumped to his feet. "I WANT TO PROTECT!"

Zangetsu smiled briefly, before materializing the familiar blade of Zangetsu in his right hand. "Good." He raised the sword to Ichigo's chest level, "Now awaken, Ichigo Kurosaki, and be reborn once more!" Without any hesitation, he thrust the blade through Ichigo's heart.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Urahara swung Benehime, his Zanpakuto, in a line, destroying more of the creatures. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Whatever these things were, they were much more resilient than he had originally anticipated.

As he began to charge at the creatures again, the genius felt a strange sensation, like all of the energy in the area was being pulled towards one spot. Then, without warning, a huge explosion of a very familiar reitsu resonated from the forest. Urahara grinned as he faced the creatures once more.

"Old friend, once again you've managed to do the impossible." He praised quietly, his hat tilting to cover his eyes, "I always knew you had it in you."

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

At different points nearby the battlefield, Uryuu, Chad, and Orihime felt a familiar, overwhelming presence, and stopped, smiling.

'He's back.' Was the thought that went through their heads as they sped towards the source of the reitsu.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

The Head Captain Genryuusei Yamamoto came into the monitoring facility, followed by the Shinigami who had been sent for him. He looked at the device used to detect abnormal flares of reitsu in areas of interest, such as spiritual centers. The display for Karakura Town was going berserk, displaying a very large amount of a familiar reitsu.

"Get me Kuchiki," Yamamoto ordered. Even though his expression remained neutral, inside he felt a sense of pride for the young Shinigami.

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

Just as the creature's gray blade was about to pierce Karin's heart, a massive wave of energy blasted across the forest, causing the sword to get knocked out of its hand. It looked towards where Ichigo had been, only to feel a weight disappear from its left hand. It looked to its left to see a tall figure, clothed in a black shihakusho with an enormous cleaver-like sword on his back, holding its hostage.

Ichigo gently laid the still unconscious Karin down on the forest floor. "I'll be back in a couple minutes." He told his sister as he straightened up, grabbing the handle of his Zanpakuto as he did so.

"Now then," the Substitute Shinigami said, his back to the creature, which was beginning to tremble from the immense pressure the teen was giving off, "I believe I need to pay you back for all the trouble you've caused!"

As he finished his sentence, he spun around, drawing Zangetsu as he did so. He raised his blade in a familiar stance as his spiritual pressure began to skyrocket. The creature began to back up and retreat towards its brethren, which were now heading towards the forest.

"Oh no you don't," Ichigo snarled. His brow furrowed as he swung his sword downwards, "GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

As he swung his blade down, a massive wave of black and red energy burst out. As it saw its doom barreling towards it, the creature, for the first time, felt fear. Then the attack hit, and it felt no more.

Panting slightly, Ichigo grinned at the clear path of destruction his attack had caused. "And that," Ichigo exclaimed, "is why you never mess with my family!" He walked out of the foliage to see at least ten of the creatures heading his way.

The Hero of the Three Worlds grinned yet again, an excited tingling going through his body at the thought of another battle, "Bring it on!" He yelled, charging towards the advancing creatures.

One by one he dispatched the creatures, until he stood panting in the middle of the field, his blade stuck point-down in the dirt. Hearing the sounds of footsteps, Ichigo turned his head to see his father, carrying Karin, Urahara, and his friends approaching him.

The Substitute Shinigami grinned at his friends. "Hey, guys, guess what?" He called, feeling for the first time in two months a sense of belonging, "I'm back."

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

 **A/N: Well people, that's a wrap! I hope you guys enjoyed that. This one was also content that I had posted previously, but I added and changed quite a few things, so it has a few nice little tidbits that weren't there before. I believe the next chapter is where we start getting into my newer stuff, so look forward to it!  
**

 **Also, something I wanted to mention. We have almost hit 100 views with this story already! I can't tell you guys how happy that makes me to know that so many of you like this, even though the first chapter was the only one released. Thank you all so, so much for your support, and I hope I continue to satisfy you all with this!**

 **Okay, onto some fun stuff. I have a question for you guys. I won't reveal too much, but I have a plan for Ichigo and Rukia to go somewhere, and I was wondering if you guys would want me to add a third person to their initial group. I already have the person in mind, and it would allow me to do some extra scenes, but I could go either way. I'm leaving it up to you, my readers. I'm planning on putting a poll for this on my profile, so if it's not on there already, it should be soon.**

 _My head… my sanity… it hurts… But at least this is edited… In short: I really don't get paid enough for this._

 **Oh, hush your complaining. It couldn't have been too bad, could i- *remembers the amount of comments* ...I pay you with love and devotion.** _(remembers the drinking game) We can discuss payment because, idk, Pretzallotato, but "love and devotion" doesn't seem to be enough sometimes._ **Well, that's about all I have for now. Until next time, tati bye bye for now!**


	3. Chapter 3

The Shadows in our Souls

A/N: Hello people! This is your wonderful host, Merytato, here with the third chapter of this sto- *dodges Getsuga Tenshous and Cero blasts* I'M SORRY! I KNOW I'M LATE! I'LL EXPLAIN LATER! Moving on, this chappie is a whole lot of transition. Just warning ya, but it's necessary. As usual, I'll save the rest of my comments for the ending author's note, so kick back, relax, and enjoy!

The Shadows in our Souls Chapter 3: Back to the Soul Society

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

"Hey guys, guess what?" Ichigo said, grinning, "I'm back."

His friends' reply was to simply stare at him.

"Um...Guys?" Ichigo started, unnerved, "Is something wrong?"

Without warning, he was swamped by his friends and family, all of whom were congratulating him on the return of his powers. Overwhelmed, Ichigo went down under a flurry of hugs, handshakes, tackles, and pats on the back.

"Alright, alright already!" Ichigo shouted, trying not to suffocate, "I can't breathe!"

Ichigo's friends and family backed off, leaving him panting for breath. "Jeez you guys," He sighed, smiling despite his aggravated tone, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"S-Sorry, Ichigo," Orihime wiped tears from her eyes, "It's just, with your powers back, you're acting so much like your old self. It makes me so happy to see you smiling again."

"I'll admit, it is a welcome change," Uryuu said, smiling slightly. Chad nodded his head in agreement. "But how did you manage to do it?"

Ichigo explained about the events that occurred in the forest. When he was done, Urahara squinted up at the sun. "Hey, I'm glad for you Ichigo, but I better get going," the shopkeeper stood up. He walked up to Ichigo and held out his hand, which he grabbed and shook. "Good to have you back. It makes me a hell of a lot more confident that we can deal with whatever is coming next with you back on the field." With that, the head of Research and Development flash stepped away towards his shop.

Isshin, who had been strangely silent towards now, walked up to Ichigo. "Ichigo. " He looked at his son solemnly, "I am very glad as a fellow fighter and as a Shinigami for the return of your powers. However, more than that, you regained them for your sister's sake. As your father and as a fellow man, you have earned my respect." Isshin bowed his head deeply.

Ichigo was stunned by this rare show of maturity from his father. "Dad…" Ichigo stood there, speechless.

However, Ichigo was spared from answering by a strange yet familiar sound. His eyes wide, Ichigo turned his head just in time to see a flash of a Senkaimon before his world went dark, and he was slammed down onto the ground.

Orihime, Uryuu, Chad, and Isshin looked at the figure that had appeared with their mouths hanging open.

The figure turned to look at them. "Hello, again." Rukia smiled, "It's been a while."

Isshin was, of course, the first one to break the silence. "RUKIA! MY DEAR, BELOVED, ADOPTED DAUGHTER!" The overly enthusiastic man ran towards Rukia while weeping tears of joy, the volume of his voice blowing Rukia's hair back. "It's been horrible ever since you left! I missed you so mummmppphhh!"

"You're right, it has been a while." Chad greeted, covering Isshin's mouth with one of his bear hands, "What've you been up to?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," the raven-haired girl responded. For some reason she had a slight blush. "How about you guys?"

"The usual." Uryuu answered, "Not that I'm not anxious to play catch up Rukia, but I don't think that's your reason for coming here. We already took care of the… things that were attacking us, so if that's why you came, I'm sorry, but you arrived too late." Uryuu already had a suspicion as to why the Shinigami was there, but wanted to see her reaction.

"I'm actually here to pick up I-Ichigo," the petite Shinigami replied, blushing slightly. None of them missed the stutter, nor did they miss the blush.

Rukia looked around. "Where is he, anyway?" She added, a puzzled expression on her face, "I figured he'd be where most of the fighting was."

"Um...Rukia, look down," Orihime pointed downwards.

Realizing what she was standing on, Rukia began to apologize. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ichi-" Rukia looked down just in time to see a flash of orange as a very angry Ichigo stood up quickly with her on top of his head from his position on the ground, sending the Ice user flying through the air.

Ichigo turned towards Rukia, who was doing a faceplant in the ground, her behind sticking up in the air, and pointed at her, an angry expression on his dirt-covered face.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL!" The orange-haired Shinigami exclaimed, "I haven't seen you for two months, and when you finally do show up, you make me do a faceplant in the ground and stand on top of me!" Rukia twitched, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to breathe with someone, even a midget like you, standing on me?!"

Faster than Ichigo thought possible, a red-faced Rukia jumped to her feet, dashed towards Ichigo, and got right up in his face. "Listen, you," she growled, "That was just an accident, and I tried to apologize but _someone_ decided it would be a good idea to _throw_ me! You're right, we haven't seen each other for two months, and you treat me like this?! You need to learn some respect, you insolent little worm!"

"And _you_ need to learn to lay off the sweets, fatty," Ichigo bellowed in Rukia's face. The two glared at each other, a look of pure rage on their faces as they traded insults that could likely spark another war. Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, and Isshin just watched in a mixture of resignation and interest as the argument continued like a tennis match, their heads whipping back and forth as the barrage of insults continued.

After about five minutes of straight arguing, Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other, panting, their faces red as bricks. Suddenly, to their viewers great surprise, they simultaneously burst out laughing. They found themselves smiling at the pair's joy.

"Just like old times, eh, Ichigo?" Rukia grinned as she wiped tears of mirth away from the corners of her eyes.

"Yeah, it sure is," Ichigo agreed, smiling as well. His expression suddenly turned serious. "But I'm guessing you didn't come all the way here just to catch up and play like old times, did you?"

The atmosphere turned serious. "Rukia, you did say that you're here for Ichigo." Orihime observed, her eyes wide, "Are you taking him with you back to the Soul Society?"

Everyone turned to look at the small Shinigami, who levelled her gaze on them. "That's right," Rukia confirmed. "I have orders directly from the Captain Commander to take Ichigo back with me."

Everyone was silent for a while. "Do you know why he asked for Ichigo?" Uryuu finally spoke.

Rukia shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I wasn't told the details, just to bring Ichigo, and Ichigo alone, back as quickly as I could."

A heavy atmosphere laid with the group. "He doesn't mean permanently, does he?" Ichigo hesitated, "I mean, this place is my home."

"I doubt he would be calling you back permanently. There's plenty of time for that after you finally die naturally," Rukia reassured, alleviating some of their fears, "However, the fact that he sent for you so soon after you regained your powers means that the matter is of utmost urgency. We should leave immediately."

Ichigo turned to look at his friends and family. "Guys…" Ichigo began, but he was interrupted.

"Ichigo, it's fine." Isshin clapped his son's shoulder again, "The world needs you again. Sure, we might not see you for a while, but it's not like it'll be forever. You'll come home someday, and when you do, we'll be waiting. In the meantime, I can take care of your sisters, and all of us can protect this city."

"Just leave it to us, Ichigo." Uryuu declared, a slight smile on his face. Chad nodded in agreement. Orihime, however, was strangely quiet, and refused to look at him in the eyes.

Ichigo looked down at his still unconscious sister and felt a slight lump in his throat. Despite this, he nodded. "Alright." Ichigo stated, "I'll see you guys when I get back." He turned towards Rukia, "Let's go."

Rukia nodded and drew Sode no Shirayuki. She stabbed the Zanpakuto into the air in front of her, and twisted it like she would a key. Instantly, a light began to show, and that light turned into a set of circular paper and wooden sliding doors, which opened for them.

Ichigo turned to face his friends. "Don't worry guys," he grinned confidently in spite of himself. "I'll make sure to be back soon enough." He turned and walked towards the Senkaimon, Rukia following close behind him. As the doors closed, Ichigo turned around to look at his family and friends one last time. He had the strange feeling that he wasn't going to see them again anytime soon.

After the Senkaimon closed, a heavy atmosphere was prevalent in the group. However, their sadness was interrupted by a new arrival. Hearing footsteps, they turned to see Urahara looking at them, a grim expression on his face.

"I need you guys to follow me." He told them, "I just found out more about our new, or should I say old, enemies."

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

As they passed through the Precipice World that served as a gateway into the Soul Society, Rukia excitedly filled Ichigo in on all that had happened since he had last been there. She explained that two of the vacant Captains positions had been filled, although she didn't say by whom. She also explained that the Central 46 had been reinstated, although they had waited until all of the other tasks that would require their permission had been taken care of in order to save time. She told Ichigo that while they had seen some of the gray creatures that had been plaguing the World of the Living in Soul Society, up until recently they had dismissed them as mere Hollows.

As they neared the light that marked the entryway into the Soul Society, Ichigo realized that Rukia hadn't mentioned herself at all in her explanation. "Hey Rukia," Ichigo spoke up. Rukia turned her head to look at him. "What about you? What've you been up to?"

Ichigo expected the temper-prone Shinigami to say it was none of his business, or to simply clam up, or even to argue about it. What he did _not_ expect was for his friend to blush deeply, and say, "Y-You'll probably find out when we get there."

Ichigo stared at her. He probably would have questioned who she was and what had she done with Rukia, however at that instant they exited the Precipice World and entered the Soul Society.

As soon as he exited the Precipice World, Ichigo was bombarded with applause and bright lights. He looked around, opening his eyes as wide as he could, as he saw each of the current Captains and their lieutenants, minus Yamamoto, Urahara, and the vacant Captains positions and their lieutenants. There was Kenpachi, grinning at him like the battle-crazed warrior he was, with Yachiru hanging on his back waving at him. Kyoraku was clapping lazily, still wearing his pink kimono and hat, with his strict-looking lieutenant, whose name Ichigo had forgotten, standing next to him, looking like she'd rather be anywhere but here.

Soi Fong was clapping rather mechanically, a guarded look on her face, while her lieutenant munched loudly on a bag of potato chips. Rose stood there clapping in the white Captain's haori of Squad 3, which surprised Ichigo. Next to him was Izuru, who smiled at Ichigo while clapping politely. Unohana clapped politely as well, smiling gently as her lieutenant Isane following suit. Byakuya was standing alone, merely staring at Ichigo. When Ichigo turned his way, the stoic Captain of Squad 6 very slightly inclined his head and walked away. Ichigo wondered where Renji was.

Komamura's applause was by far the loudest, although that may have been because of his massive strength and size. While the fox-like Captain sometimes unnerved Ichigo with his appearance, the Substitute Shinigami knew that he was kind at heart. Next to Komamura was his Lieutenant, Iba, who was clapping enthusiastically while grinning, his eyes hidden under his shades. Toshiro's was halfhearted, a bored expression present on his face, while his lieutenant, Matsumoto, was clapping enthusiastically. She winked at Ichigo, causing him to blush. Finally, Ukitake was clapping politely, a casual smile on his face. The two third-seats that normally accompanied him didn't seem to be present.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Hero himself," Kyoraku said once the applause had ended, "We were wondering how long it was gonna take you to get your powers back."

Ichigo smirked. "Good to know you had faith in me, Captain Kyoraku."

Kyoraku shook his head, holding one hand out flat. "Please, Ichigo, just call me Shunsui. It's what the rest of my friends call me after all."

Ichigo looked at the flamboyant Captain, touched. "Thanks Cap...Shunsui."

A hell butterfly landed on Soi Fong's shoulder. She listened for a second, then straightened up. If Ichigo didn't know better, he would've thought she looked relieved. "Ichigo," the Captain of Squad Two began formally. "I'm afraid my duty calls me. It was an honor to meet with you again. I congratulate you on the return of your powers." She bowed deeply from the waist. When her lieutenant didn't follow her lead, she put one hand on his back and forcefully pushed him into the same position, her eyebrow twitching. With that, the leader of the Stealth Force straightened up and walked away, her lieutenant following suit.

Kenpachi walked up to Ichigo, who had to look up to see the scarred warrior's face towering above him. "So," Kenpachi grinned, "You finally have your powers back. You know what this means?"

Ichigo gulped. "Y-You'll leave me alone because you're not in the mood to fight?" He stammered hopefully. Rukia made a sound that sounded strangely like contained laughter. Ichigo made a mental note to insult her some more later.

The Captain of Sqaud 11's grin widened. "Nope." He reached for his sword, "Wrong answer. Want to try again? I should warn you though, it's three strikes and you're out."

Ichigo began to sweat profusely, prompting to Rukia start giggling slightly. Yachiru chose that to pop up from Kenpachi's back. "Hey, Ichi." The pink-haired girl whispered, "Kenny wants to fight you." Louder, she continued, "Kenny, why don't we take him back to the arena? You can fight him much more there!"

"You know what, that's a good idea!" Kenpachi snarled, an animal-like grin playing across his face. He reached out to grab Ichigo, "Come on, runt! It's time for a good fight!"

Ichigo was about ready to run away, embarrassment be damned, when Toshiro and Matsumoto grabbed each of Kenpachi's arms and began to drag him away.

"Come on, Kenpachi," Toshiro scolded, "You know he's here to see the Captain Commander."

"Just a little fighting won't hurt!" Kenpachi growled, "I won't even seriously maim him!"

"Yeah, let Kenny have his fun!" Yachiru pouted.

"Yachiru, if you stay out of this, I'll give you extra candy at the next SWA meeting," Matsumoto bribed.

Instantly, Yachiru went back to relaxing on Kenpachi's back. "Hey, Kenny, there's always plenty of time after they get back!"

"YOU LITTLE TRAITOR," Kenpachi howled, struggling to get free.

Ichigo and Rukia sweatdropped as they watched the four of them fade away into the distance. "Same as always I guess," Ichigo mused. Rukia nodded her head in agreement.

After that, the other Captains with the exception of Ukitake and Kyoraku dismissed themselves. Ukitake walked up to Rukia. "Hey, Rukia, before I go, I have something for you." The Captain of Squad 13 held out a white piece of cloth, "You forgot this in your room when you left."

Eyes wide, Ichigo stared as a red-faced Rukia took the offered lieutenant's badge from her Captain. The raven-haired Shinigami slowly turned to look at him, her face as red as a tomato. "W-W-Well?" She stammered, "I-I-Is there s-something on my f-face?"

Without uttering a word, Ichigo took the badge from Rukia. Before she could protest, he had wrapped it around her arm and tied it securely in place. "There." Ichigo nodded his head once in satisfaction, "It suits you."

Rukia looked at Ichigo, a strange expression on her face. With a start, Ichigo realized that Rukia was actually acting like a girl for once. He felt a strange feeling in his stomach, but quickly brushed it off.

"Th-Thanks, strawberry," Rukia turned away. Her blush had noticeably gone down, however, she was fingering the wooden badge on her right arm like she wanted to make sure it was still there.

"Not a problem." Ichigo replied, "I was wondering when your captain would actually wake up and promote you already." Rukia started and glared at Ichigo like she was warning him, "I mean, how could he not see your potential? He would have to be freaking blind!" She was now shaking. "Oh come on, Rukia, it's not like he's…" Stopping in midsentence, Ichigo slowly turned around to see an amused-looking Ukitake standing behind him.

'Aw crap!" Ichigo mentally groaned, 'I just insulted one of the few Captains that not only doesn't want to kill me, but actually likes me! Not only that, he's Rukia's Captain as well. I'll be lucky to survive what she's going to do to me…'

He felt a small hand on his back pressing him down. Knowing better than to fight right now, Ichigo complied.

"I am so sorry, Captain Ukitake!" Rukia bowed as well, "He honestly didn't mean it. He's just an idiot." She kicked his heel, causing him to hiss slightly.

"Y-Yeah." Ichigo winced, "I'm very sorry, Captain Ukitake. It won't happen again."

"Hey, now, it's fine." The white-haired Captain smiled slightly, "You're completely correct, Ichigo. It was rather…blind of me to keep Rukia as an unseated officer for so long, especially after Byakuya gave me permission to give her a seated position. I'll admit, the truth is I was worried about her. She's like a daughter to me, and seated officers on average get much more dangerous missions than unseated Shinigami. However, her accomplishments during the war, namely single-handedly defeating one of the Espada, opened my eyes, and I decided that she was ready for this position." He smiled at Rukia, "Kaien would be proud."

"Captain Ukitake…" Rukia mumbled softly. When Ichigo looked at her, her eyes were moist for a few seconds, before hardening in determination. "I won't let either of you down."

Ukitake bowed his head. "I have faith that you won't." The Captain of Squad 13 turned towards Ichigo, and clapped his hand on the teen's shoulder. "Good to have you back Ichigo. Once again, congratulations on regaining your powers." He leaned in closer to his ear and whispered. "And take care of Rukia for me. She acts like she doesn't need any help, but she's surprisingly delicate sometimes."

Ukitake backed up and straightened. "I'll do my best...sir."

"Thank you." Ukitake smiled, "That's enough for me." He turned towards where Kyoraku was waiting patiently for him. "Well, I better get going. It's not fair to keep Shunsui waiting any longer, and your escort should be arriving shortly. Until next time, goodbye, Ichigo, Rukia." With that, Ukitake walked towards his friend, and the two of them left, heading in the direction of the Squad 13 barracks.

After a moment of silence, Ichigo decided to bring up something that he'd been curious about. "Hey, Rukia." She looked up at him, "Do you have any idea who this escort could be?"

Rukia sighed. "I have a pretty good guess."

Ichigo waited, but she didn't continue. "Well, who is it?" He said irritably.

"You'll see." The petite Shinigami responded. Ichigo turned away, fuming.

Rukia smirked. 'Too easy, just like always,' she thought. Her expression turned slightly more serious as she thought about her Captain's words. He had said that Kaien would be proud. She was determined to prove him right.

Through his annoyance, Ichigo heard a set of footsteps approaching hims from behind. Ichigo began to turn around, his trademark scowl on his face. "About damn time!" He growled, "I don't care who you are, you can't be this-" He stopped in mid-sentence, his jaw hanging open.

"Hey, now." Renji smirked, his white haori fluttering in the breeze, "Is that any way to talk to the Captain of Squad 5?"

* * *

(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)(=IOI=)-\^/-(=IOI=)

* * *

A/N: Aaaaand that's a wrap! I apologize for the lack of pretty much anything in this chapter, but if I had ended it where I had originally planned, the chapter would have been well over 8,000 words long, which is way too long for me, and probably for you guys too, so I had to cut it short. Oh well. I hope it was still somewhat decent.

Now then, as for why I'm so abysmally late. College has kept me busy lately. Finals week is approaching, which means more projects, exams, etc. for your poor resident potato. On top of that, I joined a couple clubs at my campus, so that's keeping me a bit busy too. ...I also may have completely forgotten about the chapter for a time. Yes, yes I did fail that badly. I am sorry.

 _He really did legitimately forget about this. I reminded him and he was like, "... it's not Friday yet". It was. It had been a few Fridays._

So onto other things. I hope you guys enjoyed the bit of IchiRuki I put in there. Romance is not my strong suit, but I'm going to try my best with this story. Seriously though, if you guys have any suggestions for my attempts at romance, feel free to say so in a review or a PM. I strongly encourage it, because…*coughs*...I've...ah...never written romance before, and I need to know what to improve on. I also have a serious deficiency in that department in real life as well, so that does not help matters in the slightest.

Well, that's about all I have for now. Until next time, tati bye bye for now!


End file.
